Gambling Blog

Gambling has produced a language all of its own, which many of us will use on a regular basis - but do you know the origins of these sayings? What they mean ? As with everything about gambling, you may be surprised.

Some of the more popular phrases used include :-

“Dead Ringer”

This phrase refers back to the earlier days of horse racing where many trainers would keep two identical horses - one slow and one fast.  They would switch the horses around to ensure the “horse” got a bad reputation, then when the odds were high enough they would put the fast horse in and clean up on the betting market.

“Dicey Situation”

As you would probably expect this saying relates to the many gambling games which involve throwing a dice.  A dicey situation is one which is unpredictable and could go either way.

“Pass The Buck”

This saying refers to card games where very often there is a small marker (called the “buck”) which denotes who is the current dealer.  As each player takes a turn, the buck is passed around to the next player - this situation is also connected with the saying “the buck stops here”, i.e. I am the dealer, it is my turn.

“Shoe In”

Many people may not be aware, but this actual saying refers to horse racing and the early days when jockeys may let horses past them - early forms of racing fixing.  They were said to “Shoe In” a horse which they let by to win.

“Straight From The Horses Mouth”

This is an old gambling term which surprisingly involves horse racing, and the art of tipping.  A good bet is said to come “Straight From The Horses Mouth” because you can actually tell the health and training methods of a horse by looking at their mouths.  If a horse pulls on their “bit” there will be telltale marks in the horse mouth, and you can also tell how fit they are.

These are just a few of the more popular gambling sayings, and we will be covering more in the future.